William James and the Varieties of Religious and Drinking Experience: The Case of Pablo Ávila.

Based on William James's idea that the most instructive documents humains are found 'along the beaten highway,' this paper revisits the life of Pablo Ávila (the author's father-in-law) using Donald Capps's relocation of Erik Erikson's life stages. The essay connects Pablo Ávila's religious and drinking experience to Bill W., the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, and through him, to William James, particularly to James's references to alcohol in The Varieties and his response to different forms of anti-alcohol activism. The paper argues that studying individual experience can engender human creativity and offer insights for more effective pastoral caregiving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]